Audio System

About Me

Apologies up front if there is a more appropriate forum to post this in. It crosses several topics (networked audio, equipment, software).
Bottom line up front:
I’m looking for an alternative to my current Mac Mini / JRiver - based music server setup that is more stable. I leave the computer on 24/7, with JRiver running, and I expect to be able to playback music using my iPhone running JRemote whenever I want to listen to something. This works more often than it doesn’t, but too often I attempt to play music via JRemote and get nothing, at which point I turn on the TV only to discover the Mac has thrown a dialog box or an error or JRIver has crashed. Once I clear out the dialog box / error window and if necessary relaunch JRiver or reboot, the system works as designed. This happens often enough that I want a solution that is more stable, preferably using the same hardware I already own, but if necessary I’d switch hardware. To be very clear, I’m not looking for new functionality or improved sound quality, just better stability.
Setup:
Mac Mini (2011) with 8GB RAM running OS X El Capitan and JRiver MC 21. The monitor is my main TV which I use to watch video. Music is stored on a 3TB local external hard drive that is connected to the Mini via Firewire 800. The Mini is connected to a 802.11ac router via ethernet cat 6. It feeds two separate music systems via USB 2.0 (one home theater / stereo, one headphone rig). Additionally, there is a 3rd system that I stream music to over my home network via DNLA. I use an iPhone running JRemote as my primary controller, again via DNLA.
Uses:
90% listen to 2ch music stored on the hard drive on one of the three systems I already mentioned (two connected to the Mini via USB, one remote system that streams from JRiver).
9-10% streaming video over the internet (I do the vast majority of my video watching using a Roku rather than the Mini, but I’ll use the Mini to watch sources that aren’t compatible with the Roku).
0-1% Multi-channel video content. On those rare occasions where I watch multi-channel via the Mini, I use XBMC for OS X rather than JRiver. I do this infrequently enough that I don’t mind the process of quitting JRiver, modifying the necessary configurations on the Apple MIDI utility, and launching XBMC, then when I’m done reconfiguring the system for music / 2ch.
Any suggestions? Would running XBMC on Linux and using it for music playback offer me the stability I’m looking for? (I could always boot back into OS X when I want to use the computer to stream video over the internet.) Other ideas? I really am hoping to avoid buying a dedicated music server, though that’s probably the solution that would offer the most stability.
Thanks, and if anything in my description is unclear, or if there is additional info you need me to provide about my system or how I use it, just let me know.

Hey guys,
Todd from AudioFlea here.
We currently run the Mac Mini as our music server at the AudioFlea studio, with JRiver as software.
In terms of the hardware, is there really any better quality to be had than a streamlined Mac Mini?
If so, what is the best approach for a reference level music server?
Hope you all have a good one!
Pics:
- Our trusty Mac Mini lookin' boss!
- Closeup shot of the Lynx Hilo analog meter - he was getting jealous of all the action!
Kind regards,
Todd @ AudioFlea

My MacBook pro died, and want a "just right" recommendation on a Mac Mini music server solution. My gut feeling is - i5 processor, 4-8 gigs of RAM, and SSD. Used is just fine with me from eBay. Should music library be on the internal SSD or external USB SSD? What about storing music on large internal SD card, how's the quality of music stored on SD card, vs interntal SSD or external USB SSD?
Thanks!

I've been running Audirvana (1.5.12) for ~ 5 months, mostly in standalone mode (I do think it sounds a little better than in iTunes mode). I'm happy with the sound.
However, I don't enjoy my music as much without something like iTunes to peruse my files and play music. It's just too cumbersome to deal with files and directories and drag them into the Audirvana playlist window - especially since I do it from an iPad using the Screens VNC client. CDs and LPs are a very different story b/c although cumbersome there's a magic and a physicality to them that files don't have.
So given I want to use iTunes, what's the best integrated player to use from a sound perspective?
I have tried:
- Audirvana: integration is perfect but it doesn't sound as good in iTunes compared to standalone mode.
- Pure Music: Testing it now - iTunes integration is not as robust as Audirvana (track position odd) but I'm willing to compromise if it sounds better.
- Amarra: Doesn't do DSD files - this means it's out for me.
My setup:
Mac mini('09, 8gbRAM, 250gbSSD, Mavericks, headless and minimal install - only for music) =>
Lightspeed USB (split) =>
EmmLabs XDS1v2 (same as Dac2x from a DAC standpoint) =>
Audio Note Kondo Ongaku integrated amp =>
Avantgarde Duo Mezzo speakers.
Would appreciate any opinions.
Thx!
Miguel

Hello, I am helping a friend build out his system. He has an EMM Labs Pre2 Stereo Pre-Amp. Friend plays ( Blu-ray Audio, LPs, SACDs ). He says that the rest of the system is at least as high fidelity as the Pre2.
Friend wants me to add a computer, of at least as high fidelity as the Pre2, so that he could download and/or stream internet music.
Would a Mac mini suffice? I presume it would need approximately ( external HD = thunderbolt, internal HD = 256 Gb solid state, RAM >= 8 Gb ) ?
Which (if any) of the C.A.P.S. v3 machines would be appropriate?
Would friend need a computer better than a C.A.P.S. v3 Zuma? If so, I could build it, but where is the bottleneck in the Zuma?
Are there any pitfalls I should avoid in selecting eSATA or NAS for the C.A.P.S. v3? Apparently he would copy from HRx to hard drive on a different computer, then transfer to C.A.P.S. v3 for audio playback. To me it seems more natural to connect both computers to the NAS.
Thank you.